Sydney Olympic Park is one of a number of places along the Parramatta River that contains saltmarsh meadows and mangrove forests – these valuable ecosystems are natural breeding habitats for saltwater mosquitoes (Aedes vigilax). Saltwater mosquitoes are active during the warmer months, and their population peaks during summer and early autumn, following rainfall and unusually high tides.
What are we doing to manage mosquitos
Sydney Olympic Park Authority in collaboration with scientists from NSW Health Pathology implements an ecologically sustainable mosquito management program. This program delivers an annual monitoring and advisory service that guides a mosquito management program aimed to reduce pest mosquitoes on lands under our care to improve comfort levels for people living, visiting and working in the area.
The program involves:
Bti is designed to kill mosquito larvae without harming people, pets or the general environment. It targets the gut wall of larvae, killing them before they become adults. Post-treatment monitoring by Sydney University’s Department of Medical Entomology has shown that larval mosquito populations are generally reduced by 90% or more.
Mosquito breeding times and treatment days are highly dependent on tides, rainfall and temperature. Bti needs to be applied at a specific stage of the mosquito lifecycle to be effective, so treatment windows are very short. Between four to eight treatments are generally applied per season.
Download the Material Data Safety Sheet for Bti
19/20 October 2020 (not needed) |
12/13 January 2021 |
---|---|
28 October 2020 (completed) |
1/2 February 2021 |
17/18 November 2020 (completed) |
12/13 February 2021 (may be needed) |
17/18 December 2020 | 1/2 March 2021 |
31 December 2020 | 30/31 March 2021 |
Key Facts about Mosquitos
Further information
View boundary map of where mosquito aerial spraying will occur.
View Material Data Safety Sheet on Bti.
View SOPA's Mosquito Awareness and Protection flyer to learn more about mosquitoes and the management program.
If you have any enquiries about the Mosquito Management Program, please contact the Authority via enquiries@sopa.nsw.gov.au